徒 meaning and stroke order
Disciple, follower; only, merely; in vain
How to write 徒, stroke by stroke
10 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 徒
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) disciple; apprentice; believer; (derog.) wrongdoer (as in 騙徒|骗徒[pian4 tu2] "swindler" or 叛徒[pan4 tu2] "traitor" etc)
- (bound form) on foot
- (bound form) bare; empty
- (bound form) to no avail; in vain
- (bound form) merely; just; only
- (bound form) prison sentence
How 徒 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To walk 走 in someone's footsteps 彳.
Radical: 彳 (to step with the left foot), shared by 42 characters on this site.
How to remember 徒
徒 combines 彳 (a step) and 走 (to walk). Picture a disciple who walks 走 step by step in the footsteps 彳 of a master.
徒 mostly appears in compound words. It can mean a follower, as in 徒弟 (túdì) or 信徒 (xìntú), or a wrongdoer, as in 歹徒 (dǎitú) and 叛徒 (pàntú). It can also mean on foot, as in 徒步 (túbù). Example: 我们徒步上山。(Wǒmen túbù shàng shān.) We went up the mountain on foot.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 徒 with 徙 (xǐ, to move), which has the same 彳 on the left but a different right side. Remember that 徒 has a full 走 on the right.
Common words with 徒
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 徒弟 | túdì | apprentice; disciple | HSK 6 |
| 歹徒 | dǎitú | evildoer; malefactor | HSK 7-9 |
| 徒步 | túbù | to be on foot | HSK 7-9 |
| 叛徒 | pàntú | traitor; turncoat | |
| 信徒 | xìntú | believer | |
| 暴徒 | bàotú | bandit; thug | |
| 教徒 | jiàotú | disciple; follower of a religion | |
| 异教徒 | yìjiàotú | member of another religion; heathen | |
| 圣徒 | shèngtú | saint | |
| 匪徒 | fěitú | gangster; bandit | |
| 赌徒 | dǔtú | gambler | |
| 学徒 | xuétú | apprentice; to serve an apprenticeship | |
| 徒劳 | túláo | futile | |
| 司徒 | Sītú | minister of land and people (in ancient times) |
徒 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 徒
How many strokes are in 徒?
徒 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 徒 mean?
徒 (tú) means disciple, follower; only, merely; in vain. A common word with it is 徒弟 (túdì), meaning "apprentice; disciple".
How do you pronounce 徒?
徒 is pronounced tú, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 徒?
The radical of 徒 is 彳, which carries the idea of "to step with the left foot". Dictionaries list 徒 under this radical.
Is 徒 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 徒 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
How do you say "in vain" using 徒?
Use set phrases such as 徒劳 (túláo, futile effort) or 徒劳无功 (túláo wú gōng, to work hard with no result). 徒 meaning "in vain" or "merely" is literary and rarely used alone in speech.
Is 徒 always negative when it means a person?
No. 徒弟 (túdì) and 信徒 (xìntú) are neutral. But in words like 歹徒 (dǎitú), 暴徒 (bàotú) and 骗徒 (piàntú), it labels someone as a wrongdoer, so the meaning depends on the word before it.